


The Emperor

by katwithak32



Series: The Safety of You [1]
Category: SubZero (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Happy Ending, Healing, Sad, vulnerable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:21:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24485014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katwithak32/pseuds/katwithak32
Summary: Clove and Kyro finally tell one another that they love each other. But it takes a long time, a lot of major moments to build trust, and a death in the family that breaks one of their hearts.
Relationships: Clove/Kyro (SubZero)
Series: The Safety of You [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2069865
Comments: 3
Kudos: 76





	The Emperor

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve never written a fic for this fandom. Please enjoy and let me know if you’d like to see more!

Things had been surprisingly smooth sailing in the weeks since the coronation. Both Cloves and Kyros wounds were healing very well. Clove was finally making some progress on the scrolls, and the two of them were becoming increasingly close to one another. They still had not gone any further than the sweet, chaste kisses, and light touches (unless Clove was sleeping of course.) Though they had grown together emotionally, though that happens when you share a bed with someone, married by choice or not, you grow a connection with them, a new alliance, a more private alliance had formed between Clove and Kyro.

This became painfully obvious the night that Clove woke in the middle of the night to the first nightmare she’d had in his presence. She commonly had nightmares about her mother, about reliving her death, they usually didn’t include her waking, screaming, and sobbing in the middle of the night though. That was the night she told Kyro everything, she no longer had any secrets with him. She had no reason to, he was her husband, they were a team, and she could feel herself falling for him very quickly. She told him about how she’d felt when her mother was killed, the contempt in her heart that she had felt for him and the army that he held so dear. Until she met him. Then she told him about how her feelings for him had changed and grown, and how much he meant to her. She didn’t say the “L” word though. Not yet. She needed to be a little bit more sure when she let that fly.

She came even closer to saying it the night that Kyro had come to bed very late.

“You’ve been out late.” She observed. “Are you okay?” Her concern for him was genuine as she could see the pain that lay beneath the cool exterior he put out for others. She was getting better at reading him every day.

“Just one of those days.” He mused and continued to undress.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Clove got up off of their bed and made her way to his side, her red hair falling out of the lose knot she had put it in.

“I, I don’t know. Maybe? I really would like a bath first.” He turned to look at her and not for the first time, was struck by her beauty. Those beautiful azure eyes that bore into him and threatened to pull out every secret he had.

“I guess I will just wait here for you then?” She reached up and cupped his cheek, this was unusual as she usually wasn’t the one who initiated the contact, but she could tell her needed their connection right now. He was hurting and she wasn’t entirely sure why.

“I mean, you are my wife. You’re welcome to tag along if you’re not too scared.” There he went, trying to cover up his emotions with humor and teasing. She wasn’t gonna let him slide that easy.

“I think I’ll just have to take you up on that.” She winked and walked passed him into their shared bathroom. Kyro walked into the bathroom and removed his undergarments, totally bare to her for the first time.

“like what you see?” He asked her as he began to run his hot water.

“Oh!” Clove exclaimed. “I, I um, I wasn’t expecting to not get a warning!” She covered her eyes and a scarlet blush stained her pale cheeks.

“Take in your fill.” He joked, but she didn’t look below his waste. That didn’t stop her from eyeing his broad, muscled chest as the hot, steamy water ran down it in ripples. Or the way that his wet hair stuck to his face, she wondered if that’s what he looked like in the throws of passion. “Why are you blushing so hard princess? My body is finally covered. Nothing exciting going on now. Unless,” He could read her like a book. “You’re THINKING” of exciting things. Do tell. Clove. Penny for your thoughts.”

“As I recall, I came into this room because YOU needed to talk. Not me. Ill give you a dime for yours.” She tried to bargain with him and get the attention off of her. Since the night of her nightmare when she ahd told him that she was a virgin, they had begun some small experiments, but they had yet to do the real thing. Kyro would not rush her into something like that.

“How about I get out of this bath, and we can talk in bed?” He waggled his eyebrows, but for the first time in a long time, Clove could see the vulnerability in his eyes, she could see his fears and his insecurities, his sorrows and his pain.

“I think that I can agree to that.” She said, and he began to stand. “No!” She shouted and covered her eyes. I will see you in the bedroom, when you’re DECENT!” And she left him there chuckling in his tepid bath water.

Moments later he reappeared and that vulnerable look in his eyes had dissipated, replaced with a shield, a weak one she hoped. He needed to get something off his chest. He made his way to their bed, wearing only a pair of soft shorts, and got underneath he covers. He scooted as close to her as he could, but didn’t initiate any contact other than how close they were sitting. They sat in bed, shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh. He let out a long sigh and then spoke.

“I don’t even know where to begin, Clove. I really don’t” He had his eyes downcast. Those beautiful amber eyes of his held so much depth.

“Just do it. It doesn’t have to make sense where you start, just start, and the rest will follow.” Clove said, reaching to hold his hand. She gave it a squeeze and shot him a smile.

“I’m scared, Clove. When I was a boy growing up, my family consisted of 5 people, and very soon its only going to be two. I, I just don’t know what to do. I was devastated when I lost my brother, Clove. I, I don’t think I can handle losing my mom. And she doesn’t have much time left, and, and, I just, I don’t know. I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. It’s not your responsibility,a nd I’ve known for a very long time that she was sick and that she was losing her battle with the poison. I watched my father and brother die, and now I’m watching my mother go too. And I just don’t know what I’m going to DO.” She got the word vomit out as quickly as he could and sat there huffing. He had slight hiccups from holding back his emotion. He didn’t want Clove to see that, not yet. They’d been married but a month, and his coronation was only weeks passed. He didn’t want to show her weakness, not yet.

“Oh, Kyro!” Clove knocked all of his fears away by showing him no judgement, only compassion. “It only makes sense that you would be afraid. Losing my mother was the hardest thing that I have ever had to go through. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you, not knowing if each day will be her last. And with your brothers death still so recent.” She flung her arms around his neck and held him tight. His body stiffened and then relaxed into her embrace.

“Thank you, Clove.” He whispered to her. She turned her head and kissed him on the cheek.

“Kyro, You may not see me as family yet, but I am your wife, and your queen. You will never be alone as long as I am here with you. I will always be here to listen to your words, your hopes, fears, pains, sorrows, everything. I am here for you.” She said back to him as she puled away to look at his face. His lip had a slight wobble to it and his eyes were down cast, his face began to soften and she was almost certain she saw wetness in his eyes.

“Thank you, Clove. I appreciate your words and I will take them to heart.” His voice broke on that last syllable. “But I would really just like to sleep.” He whispered this, not looking at her and rolled over and closed his eyes. Clove scooted herself down in the bed and wrapped an arm around him, being the big spoon would never bother her, especially when she could tell he was too proud to be held. Neither one of them slept that night, emotions ran high and she could feel him shaking and slightly hiccupping, she knew he was breaking, but she also knew he was too proud to show her, and he was too fragile for her to fight him on it right now. So she settled for squeezing him into a hug from behind and stroking his hair until he finally relaxed and she heard his breathing even out.

She does finally tell him that she loves him, on the night that the empress parishes.

“Clove!” Clove hears her name being called. It’s a female voice, rough with emotion. She turns to see Kharis, tears running down her cheeks, and she knows. She knows before Kharis even tells her, the empress has fallen. They decide that Clove should tell Kyro considering he is in a private war meeting with the generals. Clove sits with Kharis until Nouren comes along and sees. Clove eyes them curiously, but decides to let it be when she sees how easily Kharis relaxes into Nourens touch. She’ll remember it in the future.

It’s a few hours before Kyro returns to their room, earlier than usual because she had requested his presence.

“My servants tell me that you’re requesting my services, my dear princess.” He says with a wink as he walks into their room. But the sight of her tears and her red cheeks stops him in his tracks.

“Kyro-“ She begins as she crosses the room and wraps him in a hug. She doesn’t need to tell him, he knows. And she could feel his heart breaking.

“No! No I wasn’t ready yet.” He manages to get out. Though his voice is rough with emotion. She tries to pull away and look up at him, but he just squeezes her closer. “Please don’t let go. Not yet.” His voice is now higher pitches and he hiccups in between syllables. He picks her up and sits on their bed with Clove in his lap.

“I know you weren’t. I’m so sorry my love. I’m so sorry.” And that’s the first time that she tells Kyro that she loves him. That’s what causes the dam to break. He squeezed her even tighter and began shaking as the sobs wracked through his body. His father, his brother, and now his mother. All gone and lost from him.

“Wh-wh-where is Kharis.” He gets out in a hoarse whisper.

“She’s taken care of, I promise. It’s just you and me. No responsibilities tonight. Just you and me okay? I l love you.”

“I love you too.” He tells her for the first time as she rubs comforting circles into his back. She holds on tight and he clings to her for dear life because shes the only thing holding him together in that moment. Nearly half an hour later his sobs finally calm and he relaxes. She pulls away and tries to look at him, but he holds his eyes down cast again.  
“My love, please look at me.” She says gently as she places her fingers on his cheek and moves his face towards her. She sees an array of emotion there in those wild, beautiful amber eyes. Pain, sorrow, grief, fear. 

“Can we, can we just lie down?” He sounds so quiet that she almost missed it.

“Of course, of course we can.” She kisses him, quickly and softly before getting up and pulling his hand to lead him over to the other side of the bed. That night he slept facing her. Head on her chest, listening to her heart beat. It took him a long time to fall asleep, but eventually, he falls asleep listening to the dull, regular beats of the heart of the woman that he loves, and has loved for a long time.

—————

The ceremony was beautiful, a wonderful memorial for a wonderful person. Clove stood at her husbands side, his rock, as he faced the nation. Their nation. With his new title, he was no longer prince, or just a leader in waiting. With his mothers death, prince Kyro was now Emperor Kyro. And to be truthful, he was utterly terrified. But he turned to his right to see the beautiful, strong, passionate woman, with the biggest heart of gold, he knew he would be okay. Everything would be okay,a s long as he had her. She flashed him a supportive smile, and he squeezed her hand in return. And they would be okay.

They would face many more hardships, and many more enemies, but in the end, they would come out on top. And Kyros family would only continue to grow, nieces and nephews with blond hair and red eyes, and black hair with violet eyes. His own beautiful heirs, his son with his black hair and dark skin, but with his mothers piercing azure eyes, and a daughter, a spitting image of her mother, but with his deep amber eyes. He will fondly remember his mother, brother, and father. But he will always take solace in the night that he finally allowed himself, the great crimson dragon, to be vulnerable to his lifelong enemy of three centuries, and found nothing but love and happiness in her eyes and her heart.


End file.
